Virtually Staged Homes Are on the Rise | Statistics Show Staging Makes a Difference

If the goal is to sell a home quickly and for the best possible price, then virtual staging is an easy way to make it happen. Buyers see homes in their very best light, and in the real estate industry where a great first impression makes all the difference, it’s obvious why staging has become an essential part of the selling process.

When a buyer sees a home for sale, immediately he/she begins to imagine living in it. What if it’s empty, possibly looking a bit sad, cold and uninviting? Or worse, what about a home that is cluttered, has outdated furniture, and loads of personal items? You can bet no feelings of connection are going to be made, so click, and away they go to the next online home to view.

In comes home staging, popular since the early 2000s when real estate agents found that staged homes sold faster than non-staged homes. Homes that are properly staged appear clean and comfortable with neutral furniture designs and layouts, pictures on walls, and items that people would normally use in a home. Buyers can easily see what the home might look like if they were to be living in it, keeping them engaged online longer, wanting to find out more, and leading to a possible in-person showing or even better buying sight unseen!

Saving Money & Time | Traditional vs. Virtual Staging

Traditional home staging is guaranteed to cost an arm and a leg and will take a tremendous amount of time to accomplish. If a home is empty, think about the cost and the effort to design it, possibly even hiring a professional stager, which can really increase money spent. Then comes the cost to rent and deliver furniture, art, plants, and other necessities needed to make the home an inviting space. If furniture exists already, reconfiguring the space, and possibly removing and storing furniture, will also be issues requiring more time and money. And finally when the home is sold, any items brought in for staging will need to be removed.

On the other hand, virtual staging allows an agent to do all of this online at a fraction of the cost. With several online staging websites able to do the job for you, or a DIY platform, the desired result of clean and comfortability, along with a design layout that is appealing to many is achieved.

According to Homeguide.com,"The cost of home staging can start at $500 and go as high as $5,500 with most spending between $1,600 and $2,400 per month. Prices will vary depending on the level of service you require, if your home is vacant, and how many rooms that need staging. Homeowners can expect to pay between $200 and $600 for the initial design consultation, and a per-room cost of $500 to $600 per month for décor rental."

Statistics Show | Home Staging Creates an Emotional Connection with Buyers

According to the National Association of Realtor’s "2019 Profile of Home Staging," statistics show that home staging creates an immediate emotional connection to a prospective buyer, the first step towards a home sale.

Statistics Show | Home Staging Sells Homes Faster and Increases Home Values

A home that sits on the market become harder to sell, so there’s a lot of incentive to sell your home quickly.

• 28 % of sellers’ agents note a slight decrease in days on the market for staged homes, and 25% report a substantial decrease. Only 12% of sellers’ agents reported that staging a home had no effect on days on the market.

• One-quarter of buyers’ agents said that staging increased the offering price by 1% to 5% compared to homes that weren’t staged. Among sellers’ agents, 22% say the same and 17% say it actually increased the offering price by 6% to 10%.

• Notably, 0% of sellers’ agents and only 1% of buyers’ agents said that staging had a negative impact on offering price.

In a recent HomeLight Study, over 900 top real estate agents across the country were asked about the effects of home staging and this is what they had to say.

• 67% say that home staging helps a seller fetch more money for their house at resale.

• Over 50% say that staging increases a home’s value from 1% to 10%.

• Another 25% believe that staging doesn’t increase a property’s sale price, but helps attract buyers to the home and secure an offer. The more buyers you have bidding on your house, the more leverage you have as a seller.

• 92% find home staging to be beneficial toward selling the property in general.

Virtual Staging | The Newest Thing on the Block | A Few More Added Perks

With more than 90% of buyers starting their home search online, virtual staging is becoming the latest and greatest essential marketing tool. Realtors and builders who are virtual staging now, before it becomes more popular, are gaining competitive advantages in their local markets by making their listings more appealing and offering a new service to clients.

No Damage to Worry About | Unlike traditional staging, virtual staging will never put furniture at risk of being damaged and its cost will never go up if your listing does not sell right away.

No Heavy Lifting | Your back will thank you! Virtual furniture and decor weigh exactly nothing so they are especially easy to move into and out of homes.

Live in a Remote Location | No worries if you live in a place where it’s hard to find a stager, just go online to find the right stager for your needs.

Benefit to Hire a Local “Virtual” Stager | Slickproductions Virtual Stager

Finding a local virtual stager is ideal since they will know the design esthetic that your buyers are looking to see. For example, if you are a homeowner on Cape Cod or the islands, a local virtual stager like Slickproductions knows the luxurious coastal design buyers look for when purchasing a home in the area. As island Realtors, and with a marketing company specializing in virtual 3d tours and professional real estate photography, you can be sure that Robin & David will style your spaces to your expectations along with those of prospective home buyers.